, 1887-09-24
LIKE A FLOCK OF SHEEP.
THE TRICK BY WHICH A CROWD
WE'RE GATHERED TOGETHER.

Weakness.
Queer it is that human beings, like
sheep, often bear out the saying of Fol
low the leader" This thought came to
me a few days since while watching a test
made by a friend of mine. Happening to
meet a young man whom 1 had not seen
In a long while, I stopped to greet him
and indulge in a short conversation.
While we were talking a man walked up
to a show window near by, and in a mo-
ment was Joined by several others. In a
short time the entire window was sur
rounded by anxious gazers, and as there
was nothing out Of common on exhibition,
both myself and my friend were amused
at the action of the crowd.
Turning to me my friend said: SIT does
seem odd that people can be attracted so
easily, but | assure you that / can give
you even a better Illustration thu the
one we have just witnessed. There is
nothing at all the matter with the sewer
inlet over at the corner, yet if / go over
and look into it intently it Will be only a
little while before / attract a crowd. Now,
just for the fun of the thing I'm going
over and look into 1t, and l want you to
stand here and watch the people" Ac-
cordingly he walked over to the opposite
corner, and standing in the street bent
down and looked into the sewer. Scarcely
had he fixed his gaze on the inside when
a small boy who was passing stopped and
looked around and then stepped out into
the street and also looked into the inlet.
A street car stopped at the corner to let
off several passengers, and two of them
walked up to the inlet to look in. In less
than one minute by actual count ten per-
sons were looking into the place, and in
two minutes the crowd had increased to
twenty-five people. In three mute the
crowd was doubled, and after five min
utes' actual time the entire corner was
crowded with n pushing mass of human
ity, all eager to look down the sewer and
all asking questions.
During this time my friend had not ut
tered "A word, but had continued to gaze
steadily into the inlet as though he had
dropped something down into its dark in
terror. Then | walked across the street
to mingle with the crowd and catch any
observations that might be made. A tall,
sad looking man tapped me on the shout
der and asked me what the trouble was
all about. | replied that / didn't know,
but scarcely had | uttered the words
when n short, fussy individual, who had
just Joined the crowd, kindly spoke up
and Informed my sad looking inquirer
hat there was = child in the sewer. This
Information quickly spread and many ex-
clamations of pity and sympathy were
heard on all sides. Then some one con-
trndicted the rumor and said it was a val
liable dog hat had fallen into the sewer
This was promptly denied by a heavily
built man, in his shirt sleeves, who
was sure he had heard the baby's voice,
but that it must be drowned by this time,
because il was so quiet. Right here some
one else took up the conversation and
went on to describe how careless the
mother of a child must be to allow il to
get away from her and run the risk of
meeting with such n horrible death. In
the meantime n reserve officer made his
appearance and asked the cause of all the
trouble. Avery knowing young man took
the policeman aside and explained to him
that the crowd was all wrong. Then he
went ON to tell the officer that the man at
the sewer had been counting a roll of bills
and had accidentally dropped a bill of
large denomination into the sewer and was
now looking down TO see IL he could get q
glimpse of 1t.
You can readily imagine how ridiculous
this all sounded to me, and what an eff
fort 1t required on my part to keep from
laughing aloud. / managed to restrain
myself, however, and worked my way out
of the crowd and took up a position on
the doorstep Of n store near by. The
crowd meanwhile had grown to an i'm
mense size, and several cars were blocked
by the people standing in the street across
the track. In vain the drivers tried to get
the crowd to separate and allow the cars
to pass, but, as is generally the case, the
crowd only laughed at them, and some of
the more venturesome boys tried to climb
onto the dasher OF the car to obtain O
good view over the heads Of the persons
in front of them. Then came a regular
stream of questions from the crowd,
such as, whats the matter9' ''How
Z. a - aaNTTn -s
losts" Somebody got a ftp "How
did he get run overY' "What is it,
a man or a woman why don't the
crowd keep back and give him some airi''
to which the following were some of
the w Don't know" "Give it
up" Cant get near to ind OUT II
don't know, do you think Pm n diction-
aryp' and many other answers that |
nave now forgotten. The policeman did
his best to dispense the crowd, or at least
keep them back, But he was powerless.
He threatened a few of them with arrest,
u he didn't look very stern, SO they
risked his anger. Finding that he could
make no impression upon them, he wisely
Withdrew and allowed them to use their
own pleasure about going. He succeeded,
however, in clearing the car track, and
the several cars that had been blocked
were soon Swimming up the street at n
genuine rapid transit speed.
My friend finally worked his way out of
the crowd, and 1, having attracted his at
t%ention, he joined me, and we laughed to
our hearts content. | imagined that
after seeing my friend withdraw the
crowd would disperse, but nothing of the
kind. The place that he left was eagerly
sought after by twenty people, and a dozen
heads pressed forward to peer into the
sewer. Some old fellow with an iron bar
had succeeded in lifting back the heavy
iron lid that lifted into the top of the in
let, and he was lying flat on the pave
ment, face downward, anNiously scanning
the interior of the sewer. We stood
aside for n little while commenting
on the weakness of human nature,
and presently withdrew into the
inviting splendor of Il neighboring
restaurant, where we discussed the incl
dent with much laughter over n good din
ner and II bottle of - water. Strange
as my article of today may seem, it is en-
tirely true, and in every point the story is
correct. stopped today, and, seeing the
same reserve officer on duty ut the corner,
l recalled the experience TO him, and he